Moving On
by trekkie'227
Summary: Sequel to Letting Go. Alex and the team rush to find an Unsub who is slaughtering entire families at an alarming rate. But when a member of the team is critically injured, will Alex be able to face her past to stop the sadistic Unsub?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I know it's been a super long time since I promised you a sequel. As a thank you to whomever nominated Letting Go for the profilers choice awards, I have decided to begin work on this story. If you are interested, you can vote for my story between January and February 15****th****. I would really appreciate it.**

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><p><em>She thrashed desperately in the water, mouth open in a silent scream. The shadowy figure above her laughed as her eyes grew wide with panic and her lungs cried out for air. She tried to fight him off but couldn't move her arms or legs. The oxygen deprivation was making her head spin. Then he was gone but something was still pinning her to the marshy earth bellow. No matter how hard she fought the invisible force, she couldn't move. She was going to die here, alone and helpless at the bottom of some godforsaken pond. <em>

_ "Mommy?" A quiet, scared voice called out. "Mommy?"_

_ "ETHEN!" she cried, redoubling her efforts to escape. "Ethen baby I'm coming! Where are you?"_

_ "Mommy help!" He shrieked. She could see the outline of a boy in the distance, reaching out to her. _

_Her baby needed his mother. She was failing him. "ETHEN!"_

Alex's eyes snapped open as she sat up. She needed to go, she needed to save her son but something was twisted around her legs, holding her back. Despite her gasping breaths, her lungs still burned with such intensity she was sure they must be on fire. It was too dark to see the obstacle pinning her to the ground. Was the shadowy man responsible for this? Had he taken Ethen and left her here to die?

"Alex? Honey, what's wrong?" A gentle voice asked. Alex stopped struggling and looked around in confusion. Even though she couldn't see, the room seemed familiar. The smell of fresh laundry, the soft mattress beneath her, that voice…

Home. She was home in bed, not in the lake being drowned by the Unsub. And Ethen wasn't there; Ethen was gone. Alex felt huge, fat tears sliding down her cheeks. "James?"

"Yes Lex it's me," he reassured. "It was just a dream. You're home. You're safe."

"Oh James," She sobbed.

"I need you to take some nice deep breaths for me Lex. Nice and slow," James Instructed. He reached out and took one of her hands in his, running a thumb gently over her clammy palm.

"He was there James! He was going to… I couldn't…"

"Shhh. Everything is okay. You're okay." James slid over to his distraught wife and wrapped her in a protective hug. "Focus on my breathing. Breathe when I do. There you go Lex." Alex pressed herself into his strong body and laid her head on his shoulder. He rocked her back and forth as she cried, whispering comforting phrases against her ear.

After Alex's tears had dried and her breathing slowed, James gently pulled her back down to the bed, keeping an arm around her waist. He tenderly ran a hand through her long brown hair and Alex allowed the soothing gesture to lull her back into an uneasy sleep.

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><p>When Alex woke again, the sun had crept into the sky. Morning rays were sneaking through the crack in the curtains and lighting the immaculately clean room in a soft, pleasant glow. With nothing else to do when she was on medical leave, Alex had taken to cleaning the house, even when nothing needed to be cleaned. Two weeks ago she had been cleared to work in the office. Yesterday, her doctor had given her clearance to return to field work as long as her headaches didn't persist.<p>

According to the alarm clock next to Alex's head, it was 6:15, so she carefully extricated herself from James' embrace and snuck into the bathroom. She didn't bother to let the water warm up before stepping under the powerful spray of their shower. The freezing droplets pelting her body would help wash away the memory of her nightmare. Still, Alex was careful to keep her head out of the stream. She couldn't stand the feeling of water covering her face, even if it was just from the shower.

After getting dressed, Alex carefully applied a thick layer of make-up under her eyes to hide the dark shadows. She knew no one would believe that she was fine, but she didn't want them to pity her because of a few restless nights.

James gave her an approving once-over when she exited the bathroom. "You look like you're ready to take on the world."

"Maybe just one Unsub at a time," Alex replied. He didn't question her about her readiness to return to field work or remind her about the doctor's restrictions, for which she was grateful. He knew she could take care of herself just as she knew he would always be there to help her, no questions asked.

"I assume I'll be home tonight, but you never know," Alex said. James nodded in understanding. She gave her husband a quick kiss before leaving the house for the BAU.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading. Next chapter the new case will be revealed! As always, any thoughts, ideas, or constructive criticism is welcomed. I can't get better or give you what you want if you don't review! <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Alex stopped for a moment before entering the bullpen to survey her colleagues through the glass doors. Rossi and Morgan were gathered around Reid's desk. As she watched, Morgan said something to make Rossi laugh. He playfully punched a reproachful looking Reid on the shoulder. It was nice to have a family again, even if that family was a bunch of gun-wielding guys. She didn't want to interrupt them, so she quietly walked through the doors and headed to her desk.

Morgan spotted Alex sneaking towards her desk and broke into a grin. "Hey Blake! You get cleared?" Alex jumped slightly at Morgan's carrying voice before glancing in his direction. She pulled out the signed papers from her bag and held them up. "Excellent! We need someone who can translate for Reid."

"Yes, it will be nice to have someone who can carry an intellectual conversation during our flight today," Reid added.

"Have we got a case?" Alex asked.

"JJ's in Hotch's office," Rossi answered. "She was carrying some files and looking serious. It must be a bad one."

Alex looked up at Hotch's office. As much as she wanted to get back into the field, she was still apprehensive about leaving James and dealing with the nightmares on her own. As she watched, JJ and Hotch seemed to come to a conclusion and the pair left the office. Hotch looked down at the profilers and gave a jerk of his head, telling them all to meet in the conference room.

Alex watched JJ walk over to the conference room, head held high. How had she bounced back so quickly after being tortured? She didn't get startled over small sounds. She could probably take a shower without having a panic attack. Alex wished she could just brush off her experience like it was no big deal. Maybe it wouldn't have been if she hadn't seen Ethen.

"Blake, you good?" Morgan asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"What? Oh, yes. Just haven't had my caffeine yet." She smiled and gestured for him to lead the way into the conference room. She retrieved a large travel cup of coffee from her desk before following.

Once everyone had found a seat, Garcia stood up and began her briefing. "Alright my crime fighting friends. Over the past three days two families have been found in Northeastern Kentucky. Four days ago, another was found just over the border of West Virginia." She indicated the screen, where photos of the three families appeared.

Alex let out an almost inaudible gasp as she stared at the screen. All of the parents had their throats ripped open, just like her last case in the field. The one in West Virginia. When the Unsub escaped after drowning her.

"Except Megan Johnson," Morgan's deep voice interrupted her thoughts; she realized that she had no idea what he was talking about. He pointed at the daughter in the first family. "She was shot twice in the chest." Garcia nodded in confirmation.

Alex clenched her fists and forced herself to take a deep steading breath. She needed to focus. There was no way that this could be the same Unsub. Last time, he had only been interested in revenge on the people who abandoned him; there was clearly no correlation. With a slight shake of her head – as if to dislodge the unwanted thoughts – Alex refocused on the conversation.

"This Unsub is moving fast and he doesn't seem to have a cool down period," Hotch said. "We need to move fast. Wheels up in 10." He nodded to dismiss the team before turning to Alex with a questioning look. "Blake-"

"I've been cleared for active duty sir," she answered his unasked question. "I have the papers on my desk.

"Good. We're going to need everyone on this case. But your health is still a priority."

"I'm fine sir. Good as new," Alex reassured him.

"Alright, bring the papers to my office and get ready," he instructed.

"Yes sir." Alex gathered her things. She could feel Hotch's eyes on her back as she left the room. He was worried, just like the rest of the team; he definitely didn't miss her surprise at being sent back to West Virginia on her first case back. But once they were in the field, she would be fine. She'd have something else to focus on. Hopefully.

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><p>Reid contemplated Blake's behavior as she descended the stairs from the conference room. He could tell something was still going on inside her head. She had jumped when Morgan had spoken to her and the pictures of their newest Unsub's victims had clearly startled her. He had been noticing other slight changes in her behavior over the past few weeks as well. She had been consuming more coffee and sometimes had trouble concentrating, indicating that she wasn't getting much sleep.<p>

Blake was an adult, he told himself, and fully capable of taking care of her needs. Out of everyone on the team, she was probably the one who was most in touch with her emotions. Still, he knew that something had changed. They had grown closer during her time on medical leave after her confession about Ethen. But she was retreating into herself and he didn't know how to get her back.

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><p>Alex sat by herself during the short jet ride and examined the case file. She took care to notice all of the ways this case was different from her previous one in the field. The Unsub tortured the parents in each family, but obviously felt remorse when it came to the children. Megan Johnson, the only daughter, had been shot; the boys had all been suffocated. Perhaps he was angry at his own parents, or angry at that type of relationship because he never got to experience it. He was killing surrogates.<p>

The other Unsub had been after the real people whom he blamed for his suffering. It was a big step to make to get from one to the other. But Alex couldn't shake the feeling that the two cases were connected somehow. Maybe it was just because this was her first case back in the field. Or maybe she really was going to come face to face with her nightmares.

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><p><strong>I know this is another more expositional chapter, but I want to get as much done as I can before school starts. Things will get more interesting soon. Please let me know what you think!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

The most recent victims had lived in a fairly secluded house. The winding gravel driveway led up a slight incline covered in deciduous trees so that the light yellow house couldn't be seen from the road. Alex ducked under the crime scene tape and followed Morgan through the house's front door. It was a mess. There were bloodstains in the front hall and living room as well as a trail leading to the basement steps. Several chairs had been knocked over and the remnants of a ceramic lamp were strewn across the dining room floor.

Alex and Morgan followed the blood trail down a narrow set of steps into the house's basement. Even without the trail of blood, it was clear that the parents had been killed there. Large crimson pools had soaked into the tan carpet around two worn armchairs. In the corner, a flat screen TV was undisturbed. A few DVDs and Xbox games were scattered around it. A red smudge had landed on Toy Story 3, obscuring Woody's smiling face.

"The Unsub must have picked this house so he could torture the parents without being overheard," Morgan observed. "This basement has thick stone walls too."

Alex turned to an officer who was watching them from the base of the steps. "Do you know where the boys were found?" She asked.

"Upstairs in their bedrooms, agent," he replied.

Alex led the way out of the basement and up to the boy's adjoining bedrooms. Unlike the scene from downstairs, these rooms showed no signs of a struggle. In one, a small Lego city was set up underneath the window; in the other, a textbook still lay open on the desk.

Morgan looked down at his phone, tapping through some of the crime scene photos. "Blake, the boys were found in their beds."

"Like they had just gone to sleep. He must feel remorse for them. Or maybe he sees them as himself"

"But he's clearly enraged at the parents," Morgan added. "He's punishing them for something." He paused to think for a moment, then hit a speed dial on his phone. "Hey baby girl. You finish those background checks for the most recent victims?" He paused for a moment and smiled at her indignant reply. "I need to know if there's any history of them in child services, any police reports, any indication that they parents were having issues. You sure? Great, thanks mama."

"Nothing?" Alex asked.

"Nothing. So they're surrogates. He's finding families that resemble his own and punishing his parents over and over."

"But not all of the families have been the same," Alex pointed out. "The Johnsons had a daughter and a son, the Ruiz family had only one son. There not even the same ethnicity."

Morgan nodded in agreement. "But nothing else seems to fit. Let's head back to the station. Maybe Reid and Rossi will have found something from the ME that can help us figure things out."

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><p>Reid leaned over the body of Allison Parker, examining the thin slice and evenly spaced puncture marks across her neck. "What can you tell us about her injuries?" He asked the medical examiner.<p>

"She has burn marks on her hands and arms as well as a few on the back of her neck. The husband only has a few on his arms," The young blonde woman replied.

"And the cause of death?" Rossi prompted.

"Their necks were both cut open and the bled out. But I haven't been able to figure out what was used. It had to be one instrument to make the thin slices and punctures, but I haven't found a match yet."

Reid leaned over the body again, taking a closer look at her neck wound. The thin clean cut reminded him of the ones the team had seen on the bodies of their last case in West Virginia. This must have been what Blake had seen when she gasped in their briefing earlier that day. Of course she would have been startled at the similarity, especially on her first case back in the field. He looked up at the ME, almost hesitant to ask the question. He wasn't sure he wanted the answer. "Could it be from some sort of barbed wire?"

She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. Reid could feel Rossi's startled gaze on him as well. "Ya' know, I think it could be," she replied. "I'll have to do some comparisons to figure out what kind though. If you leave me a number I can call y'all when I've got the results."

Rossi pulled out a business card and thanked her before following Reid to their SUV. They got in and Rossi started the car, pulling out of the small parking lot. "You think it could be him?" Rossi asked.

"I do. We need to hear what Blake and Morgan found first, but it's a strong possibility especially given how close we are to West Virginia."

Rossi shook his head. "I don't want to be the one to tell Blake." Reid nodded silently. Neither did he.

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><p>Alex and Morgan arrived back at the station shortly before Rossi and Reid. The team gathered around the bulletin boards where pictures of the victims and maps of the locations had been pinned up. The four team members took turns sharing what they had found. Alex couldn't help noticing how anxious Reid seemed to be. They had obviously found some piece of information that was bothering the young genius, something he was hesitant to share.<p>

"What about the cause of death?" Hotch asked Reid.

Reid glanced at Rossi before answering. "The Unsub severed their necks. The ME wasn't sure what was used but we think… I think it was barbed wire."

Alex looked down at the floor. She could feel everyone's eyes on her; they were trying to judge her reaction to this new piece of information. Hotch was probably doubting his decision to take her along on this case. She took in a few deep breaths to calm her beating heart before looking back up at the team. She was stronger than this – stronger than him – and she would prove that to the rest of the team. "So it might be him," she stated.

"Yes," said Reid. "The MO has changed, but the wire is a specific signature."

"Well then we have an advantage," Alex replied. "We've profiled him before. He's obviously evolved, but we still know how he thinks. We know why he has targeted these families. All we have to do is find them."

"That means the next step is the geographic profile," Hotch instructed. "Reid, you see if there is a pattern to the places he is targeting. JJ and Rossi, go over the details from the other case again, see if you can add anything new to the profile. Morgan, see if you can finds reports of stolen barbed wire."

"We also need to consider the possibility that this isn't the same guy," Rossi said.

"Right," Hotch agreed. "Alex and I will consider that possibility and construct an alternate profile." He looked around at his team. "We don't have much time. He's murdered three families in four days."

The team dispersed. Alex went to join Hotch at a table to work on the new profile. Reid glanced over and gave her a reassuring smile. Alex smiled back. It was clear that Hotch hadn't wanted her to work on the other angle of the case; he was worried that she wouldn't be impartial but a few nightmares weren't going to keep her from doing her job. She'd call James tonight, maybe go on a coffee run with Reid tomorrow. And when they found the bastard, she would get to cuff him and send him off to prison forever. Unless he disappeared again.

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><p><strong>So the case is unraveling! You'll find out who the Unsub is for sure soon, and then things will get really interesting (I hope). Please let me know what you think!<strong>


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